An oft-repeated cycle during the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland, has been for the government to scold the people for non-compliance with restrictions. In response, we, the people, act like bold children more determined to appease than ever before. The government can then at will introduce any draconian measure they choose, with an eager public enthusiastic to comply. Ireland is unique amongst the nations as the relationship between government and people is not one of an empowered citizenry holding its elected representatives to account. Rather, the dynamic of our relationship is that of teacher and pupil. Yet, a point I would like to make is this, the previous acting Fine Gael government and the incumbent unholy Trinity, has enjoyed de facto absolute obedience from its ‘students.’
Throughout two years of excessive lockdowns, nonsensical restrictions, and a state of constant panic, the Irish people have been – by all standards – star pupils. Why then does the government continue to blame the people? My mum always taught me never to blame the teacher (she being a teacher herself of course), but surely it’s the sign of a bad teacher when good students are blamed?
Ireland as of now has the highest vaccination rate in the world – over 90% of our adult population is vaccinated. In fact, more than 91% of our population over the age of 12 has at least one dose of the vaccination. Uptake of the booster vaccine has been extremely high, and only slowed by the constant of government inefficiency. Vaccine passports were railroaded through the Dáil at the eleventh hour before the summer recess, with much political opposition, but very little opposition from the majority of society. Masks are now as essential an item of clothing as socks. The media coverage is overwhelmingly supportive of the government and public health policy – the main critiques in fact, have been whether the government has been harsh enough in its public health approach.
A report from the Irish Independent, from October 2021, showed less than a 1,000 persons are being prosecuted for breaches of Covid-19 regulations. Garda statistics, supplied in a parliamentary question to Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín, show there were a grand total of 12 fines for Covid related offences from August to October. For the year of 2021, there have been less than 500 fines for mask wearing violations. When you consider this is millions of people wearing masks nearly everywhere they go for close to an entire area, that is a remarkably low level of ‘disobedience.’ When an unconstitutional ban on public religious practice was imposed, there was even majority compliance from religious congregations despite this egregious breach of their fundamental rights. The list of compliance goes on. However, you would not know this from the coverage of the Irish media or the rhetoric of the political classes.
Indeed, only a few weeks ago, journalists and media outlets alike covered the apparent horror and outrage of Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe at several people apparently not wearing masks on the train he was on. This is an anecdotal claim which in any case would be a rare occurrence. Yet this anecdotal claim was reported as if a breaking news story of international significance. The TD in question went on to say that those not wearing masks were insulting the memories of those who died from Covid-19. This shameful hyperbole seeks to attribute every Covid-19 death to individual acts of supposed non-compliance and cower the public into further subservience.
Quite frankly, Crowe and his government colleagues are looking for scapegoats for their failures. Instead of expanding healthcare capacity, the government is focused on the less than 500 violations for failing to wear a mask. Instead of fully supporting antigen testing – which it should have done months ago, the government is currently demonising those who are not yet vaccinated. Instead of focusing on their own failures, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are determined to pin responsibility for their failures on the people. In other words, what else is new?
Furthermore, I think it more an insult to those who died from Covid-19 that Crowe’s Government colleagues are vehemently opposing a Bill which would investigate the thousands of deaths in Irish Nursing Homes from Covid-19. Over 1,600 Irish people lost their lives to Covid-19 in Irish nursing homes in under two years. There are serious questions over how that threat was managed on several occasions by both Simon Harris and Stephen Donnelly. FOI Documents released to Peadar Tóibín TD show evidence that Covid-19 patients may have been ordered into nursing homes – congruent to what happened in New York to devastating effect. Substandard PPE imported from China. Staff shortages.
The Minister for Health (who brought down the previous government) going AWOL when the first wave hit the country. To name but a few. There are more than enough grounds to sustain an investigation, but even more opposition to accountability and transparency inside the walls of government buildings.
In Britain, ardent Brexiteer MPs are rebelling against the Man Who Delivered Brexit over Vaccine Passports. In America, private companies are taking the Biden Administration to the Supreme Court over vaccine mandates. Across Europe, tens of thousands of people are protesting their own governments’ Covid-19 policies. Meanwhile, here at home in the Emerald Isle, the people await the latest dictate from on high from their government – only too eager to comply.
Of course, there are some who have consistently spoken out but overwhelmingly the Irish people have assented to everything they have been asked. Indeed, the government is currently working on how to make their emergency Covid-19 powers a permanent fixture – to negligible public outcry. Our apathy and subservience is our downfall, and the reason we lurch from calamitous government to calamitous government – with no prospect of change on the horizon.